Happy Birthday, Mother

... Wyora and her son, Earl ...

Yes, it is my mother's birthday on March 8th.  Wyora shares the date with International Women's Day.  Wyona asked for some stories about her. Below, I have listed some that were written previously and now hidden in the years of the family blog. 

I tried to pick out posts where Wyora is the main protagonist. Doral sometimes gets in the way.   She had both a private and a public charitable face.  He was the quiet, supportive companion in those times.   But it is hard for him not to pop out and add some fun.

Any COMMENTS in the box below will be read with joy and responded to, 

If anyone sends me an email on the subject of my mother's birthday, I shall consider it fair game for blogging unless it carries the hashtag #notforblogging.

 Too many stories to read, and will they give you a taste of her life?

I hope so.

Happy Birthday, Wyora.  You would have been 107 on March 8th.

Vignettes about Wyora.  

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2018/03/wyora_9.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2017/09/tap-tap-tap.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2020/06/doral-adored-wyora.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2019/03/my-moms-birthday.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2011/07/note-from-elizabeth-davies-olsen-to.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2020/05/wyona-on-wyora-for-mothers-day.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2020/04/dresses-and-shirts-for-stampede-week.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2014/05/wyora-reflection.html

https://larchhaven.blogspot.com/2019/05/joanne-reed-smith-says-to-moiya-in.html

Journalling

Eagle Vision Cover by Allan Weir. 
... black and red Haida image...

... my 2018 note book ...

For years I have kept copies of letters I write – at first letters to my parents, then to my siblings, the to my children, and now to everyone in my extended family.

What used to take a stamp, or more, depending on how many pages I wrote, now only takes the effort of uploading into a blog.

I call those my memoirs.

Maybe they are journaling as well.

Two autumns ago, when I was in Victoria, I noticed that Rebecca had a small notebook that she took with her to lectures and into which she kept copious notes.

I thought I might try that practise so I purchased an 8-inch by 6-inch red and black book and would take notes as she did.

At the same time, someone told me that there is a new practise while annotating texts, to use certain symbols, so I went out to the web and read how people do that – and I kept notes – my first entry in that small notebook.

... my Table of Contents ...

Added to that, I had started the practise of collecting recipes, pasting them into old day timers – well, really the one I was using, but I could use the January pages for the recipes, since they had been filled up with old notes and were of no use to me anymore. I glued so many recipes into those pages, that I needed a Table of Contents.

I just glued an empty page into one of the front pages as well: #1 Rogers Whole Wheat Bread, #2 Grandma Jarvis’s Lemon Squares, #3 Quick Pizza Crust. You get the idea – just recipes that I might want to go to quickly and have at my finger tips while I travelled and was invited to cook in someone else’s kitchen.

... my 2020 Brownline Daily Planner
I tape an old card ("4 Noble Women" by Lou-Ann Neel) to the front of this book
to differentiate it from older, black covered Daily Planners.

The Table of Contents became so valuable to me, that I began to transfer the idea of making a Table of Contents to other notebooks I was creating.

I am a person who is not gifted with a lot of imagination – at least the kind of imagination that comes with expanding borders.

So it has taken me until this week to figure out that there are many kinds of journaling – and one kind of journaling that I have not recognized is these small notebooks: my day timer and my notebook.

... Saturday and Sunday ...
no notes on these pages ... yet ...

I treasure the random notes therein: a bit of opera, some National Theatre Live, the Indigenous Justice Summit, the characters in the Netflicks Peaky Blinders series, and a lecture by John Borrows on the Anishinabe 7 Grandfather’s Teaching, to name a few in the interest of showing that there is no connection between them, except that it is me taking the notes.

This week is the one where I have come to understand that these small note books are a different kind of journaling: me writing about things that rarely appear in my regular journal.

Arta

Eighty Memories for Eighty Years: #55 Writing Memoirs

I began writing letters home to my folks in the 1960’s.

On visiting them one day, day I picked up a letter I had sent, re-read it and discovered that what I had been telling my mother things about my children that I had already forgotten. Memories of them dancing down a back alley, touching the fences of all of the neighbours, tapping them as though counting them off, one by one.

So I began to keep a copy of the letters I wrote home to her, so that I could remember how they skipped along on the sidewalk as they came home. I had a faint hope that someday my children would want to see their lives as I saw them.

When my children got old enough to have homes of their own, I still kept writing, this time to them. 

Still I kept copies.

About ten years ago, instead of sending letters by Canada Post to them, I started to blog memoirs– thanks to my son, Doral, who did the hard work of setting the blog up.

When I look back I can see from 1965 - 2020;  I think, wow, ideas now in back and white, set in paper.

A gift to me, the act of writing.

Arta

Three Hours of Writing a Day

Two Humming Birds
Painted by Wyona Bates

Rebecca told me she is trying to do 3 hours of writing a day and that she will report back to me at the end of the week.

I am curious about where one finds three hours to write.

In my day book, I can pencil in writing, and book off from 8 to 11 am.

By the time I get up, dressed, eat and do 6 simple exercises for my new hip,

I look at the clock and the whole morning is essentially gone.

Now that is not to say I am unhappy having a skill level where I can do all of these things on my own. It is just that the work of daily living gets in the way of this task I have given myself of writing for 3 hours a day.

Does cleaning off email messages count as writing? Ones like, “you are receiving this message because you are signed up to ACADEMIA and have read the following articles so we think you might also be interested in this one?” And then the new article does seem interesting and I do want to read it.

Or how about the alert “Your Capital One bill must be paid". Nope. I can’t really count taking care of my bills as writing though it does keep me out of interest collecting on those debts if I don’t pay them.

I want to respond to notes from old friends. As the months go by, either they or I loose our power to write as I would like to. But I guess when I say I want to spend 3 hours writing it is three hours above and beyond what I do when I get into my email.

I must go after those 3 hours and find them in the day. Right now, they are doing a disappearing act for me.

And what about the odd pieces of paper on which I have put random notes for me to remember for when I do sit at the computer. A collection of those erratic thoughts are be stapled together, in some haphazard condition and then taken to the computer and there goes another couple of hours goes by as I putter with them. Satisfying to complete that task. But it doesn’t fit into that category that I am now seeing is pretty finite: write on a certain topic and don’t let any interruptions happen – as one writer said, “focus on your task, even if there is a dead body in the sink”.

I know I have been working very hard. “Very” is a word I try hard not to use. But I am asking myself, am I really doing anything productive during the time I spend at the compter, and will I wish some day that I had kept my eye on my own agenda. Anyway, I do have the excuse that I have barely gained clarity of mind from the operation. Those high level drugs are good for healing, but not that good when it comes to writing and being full of them.

And I also know my job it to let the tiny muscles heal, but to move enough that I don't get a blood clot. Still... I wonder if I could write 3 hours a day. It is possible. The children next door can't come over for they are too rambunctious for me yet. So I am truly alone.

I ought to be able to find 3 hours a day for writing.

Arta

The Holidays in Montreal with Grandma!

(Cue music to "All I want for Christmas Is You") --> "All grandma wanted for Christmas was a blog post" 

So, as promised, I am posting on the blog. This is for you grandma so ENJOY!!! 

You arrived back in November on a Tuesday just as I was running out the door to work and boy did I not know what the next month would have in store for me upon my return from work that night....

That very night we went on our first movie outing to see Bohemian Rhapsody and it was a riot to say the least! We both loved that movie and played Queen songs at home the whole next week. I adore seeing movies at the theatre, but we all know it is simply because I am such a sucker for buttery movie popcorn and sneaking in "contraband". Sneaking pop and candy bars into the theatre with you ALWAYS fills me with a giddy feeling because I feel like I get to be a rebel and I don't really get much else chance to break rules in life without the fear of receiving a serious consequence. The only other rule breaking I get to do is jaywalking but I never do it in front of the police because I would get in some serious trouble of course. 

I must say, I was so surprised when I got up and put my coat on as soon as the movie ended and looked over to find you still comfortably seated and watching the credits. Honestly, I was not interested in watching the 10 minutes of credits (haha) at first, but I have definitely grown used to it and find it quite interesting to see how many people work to put a film together. It is now the new movie tradition with you. Speaking of tradition, another funny tradition (of sorts) that we have put in place is our post-movie restroom stop. When you drink a full can of soda (sometimes two!!), my bladder can only hold so much. This is thanks in full to my being a tiny adult with an extremely small bladder and I would never want to get stuck on the metro with a full bladder on the way home!

Grandma and I heading home on the metro after seeing
Bohemian Rhapsody

Our next movie outing was only a mere two nights later when we went to see the movie "Green Book". I would never have picked to see this movie as I had no idea what it was about, but it was such a well crafted film! If you are reading this post, go watch this movie. A film about the development of a bond between two unlikely people, the acting was amazing and the storyline, original while exploring the difficulty of dealing with racism in the 1960s in the States. Once again, contraband and popcorn were involved. This time there was a little dissapointment on the part of the popcorn as the bag wasn't filled as generously as it was the previous time. Those darn cineplex workers! I love myself a full bag of buttery popcorn, but it's not like I can eat the whole bag of it in one shot anyway although I like to think I can. My eyes are often bigger than my stomach [not literally of course haha], but you know what I mean. 

The movie experience doesn't end after the credits but continues for the remainder of the night and often the next day as well. Why would one see a movie and not analyze it?! I like to pretend I'm a teacher and find good questions I could ask my hypothetical students if I were to test them or make them write an essay about the film. Grandma, you bring out the english teacher in me and I love it! It is ALWAYS fun dicussing the thematic elements of a movie, recalling our favourite scenes, and comparing it to other films. We'd make a good pair of english/film professors or at least I think so. 

Gosh, I am only on movie #2 and there is still so much more of our holiday adventure to recount! We can't forget about TimePlay. Remember how I have won every single pre-movie cineplex TimePlay game with you by pure luck and good guessing skills? I just loved it when I got all excited the first time I won and people looked back and stared at us in the theatre. What can I say, I like to celebrate when I win something! 

The movie-going was far from over with "Widows", "Lemonade", "First Man", and a second viewing of "Bohemian Rhapsody" still on the way (I hope I haven't forgotten any). All these movies were so unique and a real joy to see in the theatre. Grandma, we certainly have a bond when it comes to seeing movies. 

Movies were a large portion of the adventures I had with grandma, but shoe-shopping, cooking (well you cooking and me eating), and becoming roommates are not to be forgotten. 

Grandma and I went on a shoe hunt for good walking shoes that I could wear on my mission. I don't like to call myself picky, but I like to think that I am a shoe fashionista. I don't just wear anything on my feet! High-heels are what always catch my eye in a shoe store so looking for flats with good soles, but that don't look too bulky was a bigger challenge than I had anticipated. It took two different shoe shopping trips to finally find two pairs of stylish-enough flats with good soles that were comfortable for my mission. Oh how badly did I just want to try on heels, but I held myself back and grandma helped me focus and find some really nice flat shoes.  I could not bear the idea of going on my mission and having to walk around in non-stylish shoes so at least I don't have to worry about that anymore. Grandma, we will have to go shopping for heels one day because I could try on heels for days and you know that!! Remember that huge red high-heel statue in the mall--> well, that is a shoe I would buy in a heartbeat. I took a picture of it of course.

The shoe I wish I could have bought!!!

The 1st shoe I actually bought 

The 2nd shoe I also bought 

I could not have asked for a better roommate!! Even though I actually sleep in the basement and you just use the basement bathroom and have your wardrobe down there, but sleep upstairs, we call each other roomies because that is exactly what we are. As soon as you said we were roomies, I was in total agreement. I don't know if any of my missionary companions can ever top you, grandma. You and I just have too much fun together. I just love it every time you tell me I'm funny, that I'm a "riot", and that you love hanging out with me, my crazy self, and I! 

This post could probably become a book if I keep going, but that is a testament to how much fun we have had and keep having each day we are together. Love you grandma! 

With love, 

                  Catie "your roomie" :)

Hobbies – Dave, Greg, Moiya and Arta

Moiya invited Greg and me to dinner on Wednesday. 

As part of the conversation we were talking about hobbies that old people have.  

Here is our list.

Moiya:  She likes to sew.  She hasn’t had time to do this for many months.  Just no time.  Last year she did a long 8 month course and then the summer comes ....

Greg:  He likes to read.  Right now he is reading about the aftermath of World War I.  He finds his books on sale at the Piccadilly Mall and comes home with 6 to 8 at a time.  They cost pennies, he says and the hard copy brings him a lot of enjoyment.  He doesn't read that much from the Kindle anymore.  Right now there are no books out for sale.  Instead there are sign-ups for community groups in the spot where he usually buys his books.

Dave Wood: He likes to restore old cars.  What he likes is watching a TV programme about the restoration of old cars.  The actual hobby is too expensive for him.  $10,000 for some of the parts?  Nope.  He sticks with keeping modern cars running in his other spare time.  What he likes for a hobby is "building things".

... a memoir about Chinook country ...

Arta: I am reading books written by Indigenous authors, or books about Indigenous communities.  

Right now I have 3 books being read simultaneously.  

One is The Original Meaning and True Intent of Treaty 7 by Sarah Carter, Walter Hildebandt and Dorothy First Rider.  

Another is a memoir given to me by John Borrows called “The Banker and the Blackfoot” by J. Edward Chamberlain a memoir from southern Alberta.  

When I am at Rebecca’s there are books like this on every side table and coffee table, so I haven't run out of books to read yet.

Arta

A Moment of Nostalgia

Gabe signs autographs for theatre patrons and ...
Arta begins to think about the highlights of 2013

I had a moment of nostalgia this morning when looking at the left-hand side of the blog (The Blog Archive) and remembering at the same time that the year is coming to a close. Doral Johnson set the blog up in 2009 and then slipped out saying, "This belongs to all of us. I just set it up."

Now four years have come and gone: Nov and December of 2009, then 2010 to 2013, well four years -- almost ... a few days to go. On the average, it looks like we talk to each other about 450 times a year. I scrolled through the short two months of 2009 postings to see pictures of people who are now 4 years older. That is what brought the moment of nostalgia. Even I look four years younger in the photos.

I lingered longer at one of the posts, for there was my list of "The Ten Best 2009 Moments to be Remembered".

I really laughed when I saw 2009 was the year Rebecca offered to co-write a paper with me if I would come to a workshop with her. She said she would do the work. I would just have to talk to her for a while. In the months that followed, she turned that around into writing a paper each.  The papers are appearing in a collection about polygamy published in 2014. Who would have known in 2009?

Now I am off to take a walk.  It is -17. I will begin formulating my new post: Arta’s 10 always-to be-remembered-moments of 2013. I must remember to keep my eye on the icy sidewalks while the last 12 months roll by in my head.

Arta